Collection + Exhibits

Object of the Month

 

Get a glimpse of the past with highlighted artifacts from the museum’s collection.

With more than 10,00 artifacts in our collection, there’s a lot to learn about. Come along with us as we unearth one item a month and take a deep dive into its use, significance, and any community stories connected to its history, meaning, or purpose.

From archival photographs to awards, manufacturing tools and inventions to locally made holiday ornaments from a once renown manufacturer—get a glimpse into the past, right now.

February 2024: Dye Tubes

It’s February, which means our 2024 gallery “Unseen Hands, The Hidden Elements of Labor” opened to the public! This month, we’re highlighting dye tubes from the Bates Dyeing Facility, offering a glimpse at just one of the dozens of objects we have on display this year. Bates Manufacturing had its in-house laboratory that developed new dyes and ensured the quality of the pigments used in its products. Early in the mill’s history, the workers would dye only one color daily (i.e., Monday – blue, Tuesday – yellow, etc.). Any dye left over at the end of the day was dumped directly into the Androscoggin River, making the mill one of the largest polluters. This practice and the Androscoggin’s overall condition helped inspire Maine Senator Ed Muskie to get the Clean Water Act passed by Congress in 1972.

Photo by Tanja Hollander

Did you miss a past Object of The Month?

We’ve gone through a treasure trove of items from our collection over the years. Scroll through and see what you may have missed.

June 2023: “Piping Rock” Bedspread Catalog

June 2023: “Piping Rock” Bedspread Catalog

June is LGBTQ+ Pride month. As a symbol of our commitment to celebrating the told and untold stories of our region, including those of the LGBTQ+ community, we are featuring this multi-colored “Piping Rock” Bedspread Catalog for our June object of the month. This...

May 2023: Bates IDs and AFL-CIO Membership Cards

May 2023: Bates IDs and AFL-CIO Membership Cards

This month we are featuring a husband and wife's Bates Division Identification Card and both of their AFL-CIO Life Memberships Cards -- four of many in our collection! These union cards and Bates IDs belonged to Eugene and Lucille Bazinet, who both work at the Bates...

April 2023: Atherton Furniture Antique Plate

April 2023: Atherton Furniture Antique Plate

April's object of the month is this 7-inch white plate with a green imprint of the great falls in Lewiston from the Atherton Furniture company. The plate was manufactured by Homer Laughlin China and was from the American Beauty line. The Atherton Furniture company was...

March 2023: Women in the mills

March 2023: Women in the mills

In recognition of women’s history month, we are highlighting two photographs from our collection of women working in the mills. Women played a crucial role in the manufacturing history of Lewiston-Auburn.  The textile mills provided women an opportunity for work...

February 2023: Bates Bedspread, Valentine’s Day Edition

February 2023: Bates Bedspread, Valentine’s Day Edition

This is a Bates bedspread with hearts and flowers on it. The bedspread is reversible: one side has flowers and hearts that are pink and white on a green background, the other side has flowers and hearts that are green and white on a pink background. This is one of the...

January 2023: Murphy’s Fur Coat

January 2023: Murphy’s Fur Coat

This month the museum is highlighting a Murphy’s fur coat. Murphy’s was a fur business started by T.J. Murphy in 1873 that had two locations in Lewiston: one on Ash street and one on Lisbon street. They became nationally known for their high quality and their direct...

December 2022: Bates Bedspread Snowman

December 2022: Bates Bedspread Snowman

To celebrate the holiday season, our December object of the month is this festive bedspread disguised as a snowman. Almost all of the bedspreads in our collection remain in their original condition, but this one was given new life, dressed up for the holidays, and...

November 2022: War Ration Booklet

November 2022: War Ration Booklet

With Veteran’s Day approaching later this month, our object of the month is a ration booklet held in our collection. As with many areas of life, the textile, brick, and shoemaking industries of the Androscoggin region felt the effects of WWII. For example, many mills...

October 2022: Bates Manufacturing Company  Medal for Valued Service

October 2022: Bates Manufacturing Company Medal for Valued Service

This medal was awarded to the Bates Manufacturing Company in 1951 for 100 years of valued service. The Jordan Marsh Company bestowed this medal to the mills, “commemorating our New England centennial associates whose integrity of character and preservation of American...

Help preserve Maine MILL artifacts

Antique and vintage items need a lot of maintenance to prolong their lifetime. Help us to preserve and care for these historical items and representations of our community’s history by donating today.